Supporters and Endorsements

Sal is delighted to have been offered support and endorsements by a variety of Party members. Some of these are listed below:

Julian Huppert

I've known Sal for ages - in fact, since the day I joined the party as a young 17 year old.

She is a Liberal through and through, and a doughty campaigner. I've seen how well she performs as a Councillor, a Parliamentary Candidate and now as a Parliamentarian.

Sal has a strong record of delivering change and will make it happen. As President, she would do our party and its values proud.

Munira Wilson

We need a Party President who has the experience, gravitas and, most importantly, the relationships and credibility with our grassroots membership across the country to help navigate the party through the challenges of the next 12-18 months.

Sal's depth of experience and record within the party, both at the coalface and behind the scenes, make her the ideal candidate to be that figurehead and the person who will get things done. I've known Sal for ten years now. She has been an inspiration and encouragement to me and so many others across the party, particularly through her work in supporting and mentoring women and ethnic minority candidates, but also through her work as a policy expert in touch with the party's heart as well as the wider electorate.

Instinctively liberal, an accomplished media performer and a no nonsense down to earth campaigning activist, Sal is the best choice to be our next Party President.

Lynne Featherstone

After attending the hustings in Glasgow, Lynne Featherstone MP decided to support Sal for President of the Lib Dems. She says:

"I listened carefully to what all the candidates had to say at the Presidential Hustings.

"It is clear to me that Sal Brinton is the best person to steer the Lib Dems through the challenging months ahead of us."

Candy Piercy

I am delighted that we have a choice between four excellent women to be the next President of the Liberal Democrats. I have read all the candidates messages carefully and my mind is clear. My first preference will go to Sal Brinton.

My main reason? Sal a record of success in getting things done to change and improve the way our Party works. Something that very few people can claim!

For many Liberal Democrats, Sal is their 'Go to person'. When they have a problem, Sal is the person they can rely on to help them. She knows how to get things done in the Lib Dems. She understands the crazy structure of our Party's administration - and can see what needs to be reformed and quickly.

I think it is her wide experience outside politics which makes Sal so effective in the Party. Her early career in in the BBC (even working on Doctor Who and on Play School!); she became an award winning businesswoman and campaigner for a global charity, she is now a trustee for UNICEF UK; she was the Bursar of Selwyn College Cambridge; all these roles contributed to her understanding of how to run and lead a professional and effective organisation. Her political career as a councillor in Cambridge, where she was Leader of the Lib Dem Group on Cambridgeshire County Council and then as the Parliamentary candidate in the target seat of Watford means she understands the campaigning grassroots and the local government arm of the Party. Most important of all she developed a political sense that few in the Party can match. Putting all this together Sal has used these diverse experiences to help the Lib Dems as a mediator, a mentor and a source of common sense advice.

I got to know Sal in the early days of the Gender Balance Task Force. Sal was one of the people who helped drive the success of what became the Campaign for Gender Balance. She was not a public face of the campaign but she worked tirelessly behind the scenes. She not only trained and mentored women candidates but she then lobbied the powers that be to get support and funding for us. After the last election it was Sal who wrote a searingly honest report for the FE, into the experience of candidates and what support they felt they needed in future.

But Sal did not leave it at writing a report. She campaigned internally to get more support for candidates from all the disadvantaged groups who were finding it hard to get elected to parliament, council or to internal Party committees. Sal became the Chair of the Diversity Engagement Group (DEG). Most party members have never heard of DEG, but it is hugely influential within the leadership of the party.

Together with a dedicated team, Sal kept the issue of needing more people elected to Parliament from under-represented groups at the heart of the discussion in the Lib Dems and beyond. She was also a key player in the successful drive to set up diversity champions in every region in England to promote diversity at our grassroots.

And then Sal worked on creating the ground breaking Leadership Programme (LP).

The Leadership Programme took the CGB experience into new territory. The LP provides training, mentoring and support for around forty candidates - women, members of ethnic minorities and members of other under-represented groups. The aim of the LP is simple. It is to prepare people to give them the best chance of being selected and then win a parliamentary seat, on their own merits. Sal put her heart and soul into that programme. She worked with a small team of equally dedicated Lib Dems to create and deliver the LP. She has then personally interviewed each and every member of the programme, matching them up with mentors and coaches to help them succeed.

Of course there was opposition within senior ranks of the Party. Noses were out of joint! Cries of 'we have never done it like this before' were heard from the usual suspects! But Sal kept up the fight and step by step the programme has begun to make its mark. As I write, twenty two candidates from the Leadership Programme have been selected to fight Westminster seats in 2015, including six of the eight seats where Lib Dem MPs are standing down. It is not the total answer - we still have to win those seats at the General Election. But without Sal driving it, I do not believe the LP would have got off the ground in the first place- let alone made such an impact.

Go to Sal's website and you will see the wide range causes that she has supported and helped. She is never one to just sit on a committee - she gets stuck in and makes things happen. I have told you in detail about just one of the campaigns Sal has worked on. There are many, many more where her involvement has been crucial to their success.

This in a nutshell, is why I want Sal Brinton as President. She will listen to the membership; she will speak up on our behalf and tell the Leadership what the need to hear and most important of all, Sal will change the way this Party operates and bring it kicking and screaming into the 21st century.

If there was ever a time when we needed a strong, sensible and powerful women delivering change and reform of our Party organisation, it is now. I hope you will join me in supporting Sal for President. Please show your support by signing up to help her campaign, as I have done today.

Ming Campbell

Ming Campbell MP, former Leader of the Liberal Democrats is backing Sal Brinton for President. He says:

"Sal Brinton has a proven track record both in Parliament and in the Party. The next two years require a President with good judgement, and experience - both of which she has in abundance."

Merlene Emerson

I first met Sal at a training session at Federal Conference where she taught us how to fill in cards and to speak at Conference.

That was many years ago. More recently she agreed to meet with me and a delegation from China of disabled activists on a visit to Parliament.

I believe Sal is our best candidate to be President of our Party. With her, equality and diversity issues would be firmly placed on the agenda.

Dorothy Thornhill

Dorothy Thornhill, the first directly elected Mayor of Watford and Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate is supporting Sal. She explains why:

"I have worked and campaigned with Sal for over ten years now. I know how much the Lib Dems mean to her locally and nationally. I know how much she cares about helping local candidates win local government seats as well as helping the big Parliamentary seats. Here in Watford she has been a tower of strength, willing to roll her sleeves up and get stuck in to whatever needs doing.

"I am constantly impressed by the way Sal understands the way the Party works - who is in charge of what and how to get things done. Other people seem to talk a lot while Sal makes things happen.

"We all know that the next President will need to be tough enough and experienced enough to deal with whatever comes after the General Election. We can rely on Sal to do what is needed, listen to our members and tell the truth to the Leadership.

"This Party needs Sal as our next President!"

Chris Lucas

Bath activist Chris Lucas is supporting Sal Brinton. He explains why here: "We all know that Sal has the time, the experience and the ability to do a great job as our Party President. Whilst all these are important, what matters more to me is her warmth, her enthusiasm and her willingness to work with anyone to get the job done.

Sal's advice and leadership has been of invaluable benefit to me and many others within the party and I have no doubt that as our President, Sal will be able to use her skills to convey our values to all levels within the party and beyond."

Navnit Dholakia

Lord Navnit Dholakia (President of Lib Dems 2001-2003; current Deputy Leader of Lib Dems in House of Lords) said:

"I'm supporting Sal for President because of her infectious enthusiasm to get people to work together. I know from when I was President that much of the work relies on making things happen, often out of the public view. Sal knows how to inspire people to do things and will also help them to achieve it.

She understands how the party works to be able to go to the heart of a problem, and isn't afraid to hold people to account."

Tracy Connell

Why I'm voting for Sal for Lib Dem President:

1) Sal was the key person in the House of Lords who helped me quash Shares for Rights to nothing. This demonstrates her ability to listen to grassroots and take action. This is what we need in a President.
2) Sal has a wide range of experience from grassroots campaigning upwards.
3) Is a staunch supporter of liberal values.
4) Sal supports reforming party processes and holding those at the top to account.
5) Someone supported by Paddy Ashdown has got to be a good one in my opinion. I know this shouldn't be a reason, but when has Paddy been wrong?

Adrian Trett

Adrian Trett, former Chair of Lib Dem LGBT+ is supporting Sal Brinton for President of the Lib Dems. He says: "Sal Brinton has always shown that her commitment to equality on LGBT+ matters is more than just agreement - she has regularly spoken out to make things happen and to change people's views.

She spoke with passion and clarity in the Lords about why Same-Sex Marriage Act was right, and she also came to meet and talk to the LGBT+ vigil outside parliament to hear their views. In addition, her role in tweeting the Lib Dem speakers in the House of Lords Same-Sex Marriage legislation helped the Lib Dems to rightly take the credit for making the bill happen.

"As former chair of the Diversity Engagement Group she encouraged, cajoled and worked extremely hard to ensure different groups in the party worked together - sometimes for the first time. She makes you think not just about your own interests, but how we can work with others to make things change in the party and in the wider world. Sal will get my first preference in the vote for our next President, and I urge you to do the same."

Katy Gordon

Leading Scottish activist Katy Gordon is supporting Sal for President! Katy says: I am supporting Sal for President of the Liberal Democrats because we need somebody who can speak truth to power. The Party needs to put the internal troubles in the past but learn lessons so we do things differently in future.

Sal has a great track record of actually tackling problems such as the lack of diversity in our parliamentary candidates. She has a great track record of inspiring people such as myself through a wide range of training courses at conference. She has a great track record of managing challenging situations in her professional and employment life in large organisations. With the current mood in the Party, we need her track record!

We needed Sal to set up the Leadership Programme, a real attempt to get more diverse candidates selected and elected. We now need Sal to do the same to the Party as a whole: to tackle the overly macho and at times bullying culture in the Party, to stamp women's' voices on the making of policy, to change the structures of the party so that they support members and campaigning and crucially to break into the cliques that tend to form around the leadership, ensuring common sense prevails.

It also helps that she helped us campaign in Scotland to keep us part of the UK in the recent independence referendum. She was part of the huge phone bank efforts and came up to Scotland to help to, which is much appreciated.

I have been inspired and supported by Sal on a personal basis for many years. I think she can do the same for the Party now when we most need it.

Bob Russell

Bob Russell Lib Dem MP for Colchester is backing Sal Brinton for President. Bob says: "I've known Sal for over 18 years, she's a doughty campaigner & helped get me elected as Colchester's MP. I have every confidence that she'll be an excellent President in the challenging months before and after the General Election."

Bablin Molik

I support Sal Brinton as she has pioneered and drove forward the Liberal change through the leadership program, giving a chance for those from under-represented groups to stand in winnable seats.

She has the passion and desire to drive forward the liberal principles and has demonstrated this time and time again. She has the experience and ability to take the party forward. We need someone who remains strong under pressure and sticks to their principles and I believe Sal can do exactly that.

I wish Sal all the best.

Ros Gordon

Lib Dem activist and former Parliamentary candidate Ros Gordon is supporting Sal Brinton as next President of the Lib Dems. She says:

"Sal Brinton is just what we need for President of our party as we enter the final stages of our General Election campaign, which will be our toughest for many years.

"We need someone who gets things done, reaches out to our membership and drives us all in the right direction together.

"Sal and I have worked together for many years, in particular on Diversity and the Campaign for Gender Balance, which has not been an easy feat even within our party. But her infectious enthusiasm has driven through changes which without her would not have happened. There is now more support and opportunities for women and other diverse groups to achieve our goals and indeed for candidates as a whole - but the job is not done yet!

"I have personally benefited from her support and leadership. I believe that Sal is the best person for the job at this challenging time for the Party."

The photo above is from the last General Election when Sal was the Lib Dem Parliamentary candidate for the target seat of Watford. It shows Ros Gordon on the right and Zoe Salter on the left together with the two youngest members of Sal's excellent campaign team!

Sheila Thomson

Sheila Thomson, Vice-Convenor of the Scottish Liberal Democrats has decided to support Sal Brinton for President of the Liberal Democrats.

"I am supporting Sal Brinton in her campaign to be the next Liberal Democrat President. I have been impressed over the years by her stamina and commitment to both members and the party. She has worked hard to stand up for equality within the party and not just paid lip service to our equality policies.

"Sal understands the Party and very importantly the members. I believe as the next Party President Sal will not just take us through the General Election, she will support us as Liberal Democrats as we continue to be passionate about our liberal principles and our love of helping our communities.

"As our President I know Sal will meet, listen and talk with our members and when needed will act as our ombudsman spend time on getting to the root of members' concerns. Sal has the abilities to build links with members across the UK which she will uses to hold regular surgeries: one to one sessions, whether face to face, Facetime, Skype or on the phone.

"Sal has always shown her strong work ethic as a past candidate, committee member, educator, business person and as one of our hardest working Member of the House of Lords. This strong work ethic along with her commitment to our members makes her the right candidate to be our next president."

Jenny Randerson

"We face the challenge of our lives over the next year. Sal has the depth of experience and good political judgement we need in our President at this time. She is hugely respected for her integrity and for her unstinting hard work on behalf of party members."

Greg Judge

Maria Munir

Watford activist Maria Munir tells us why she is backing Sal for President.

"Growing up in Watford, Sal was a role model for me. As a child, even from the age of 9, I was able to feel that politics was accessible to me despite my young age. She encouraged me to get involved on the doorstep and in school, and to not consider my age, gender or background a barrier.

"I highly doubt that I would be studying Politics at university today and campaigning on issues I believe in, had Sal not inspired me and shown me what commitment to your ideals can achieve.

"I always felt immense pride seeing Sal on the campaign trail, because she was never afraid to get stuck in, and became a face everyone knew and respected.

"I have no doubt that, as President, Sal will continue to be an invaluable asset to the party, ensuring all our voices are heard by the Leadership. She will not let anything hold her back from doing what she knows is of utmost benefit to the party and its progression. A strong, determined campaigner, Sal is experienced and passionate, and is everything I envisage of a Liberal Democrat Party President."

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